Soil contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs in the public parks and primary schools of Kermanshah, west of Iran

Toxocariasis is a common parasitic infection in the world that is caused by the larvae stage of two members of the family Ascarididae, Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. The main source of soil contamination with Toxocara eggs is dogs' and cats' faces. The soil, where Toxocara eggs become infective, is the natural source of infection. This study was carried out to determine the rate of soil contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs in primary schools and public parks in Kermanshah city, Western Iran. This survey was conducted from September 2014 to January 2015 in Kermanshah city, West of Iran. A total of 192 soil samples were collected from different parks and primary schools, 24 parks, and 24 primary schools, of six regions. Soil samples were investigated for the presence of Toxocara eggs by flotation technique using sucrose solution and examined under a light microscope using 10X and 40X objectives. Out of 192 soil samples, 56 (29.2%) were found to contain Toxocara spp. eggs. Toxocara eggs were observed in 21(87.5%) out of 24 studied parks and 11(45.8%) out of 24 studied primary schools. Forty-three (44.8%) out of 96 samples from public parks and 13(13.5%) out of 96 samples from primary schools were found to contain Toxocara eggs. Data analysis through the chi-square test revealed that there is a significant relationship in the contamination rate between parks and primary schools (P<0.001). The results of this study illustrate that Toxocara spp. are common parasites in the soil in the public parks and primary schools in Kermanshah. Thus, soil contamination with Toxocara eggs can be regarded as a potential health problem in this city.